Full Circle
by DramaLexy
Summary: Third story in my series after "Illogical Choices" and "Blood and Water." Spock and Nyota's family is growing, but there will be bumps along the way. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

TITLE: Full Circle

AUTHOR: DramaLexy

SUMMARY: Third story in my series after "Illogical Choices" and "Blood and Water." Spock and Nyota's family is growing, but there will be bumps along the way.

DISCLAIMER: If they were mine, there'd be another movie already :-)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This fic starts about six months after the end of "Blood and Water." Reading that story will be helpful to know what's going on. And as always, I really appreciate feedback. Thanks!

* * *

Nyota opened the door to her adopted daughter's room, carefully balancing a tray with one hand. She set the tray – which contained a plate of waffles and eggs and a glass of juice – down on Leryn's desk before sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Time to wake up," she told the little girl as she gently shook her shoulder.

Leryn sleepily rubbed at her eyes. "Do I have to?"

Nyota smiled. "Did you forget what today was?"

She thought about it for a moment, and woke up quickly. "My birthday!"

Nyota laughed. They had decided to let Leryn pick her own birthday after her adoption was finalized, a symbol of her new start with her new family. The idea of celebrating a year of age had been a foreign concept to the child, but she'd been excited to have a new tradition and had selected the anniversary of the day she'd arrived on Earth. "Yes it is. Happy Birthday, sweetheart. I made you breakfast," she said, pointing out the plate.

That got a smile. "Waffles?" she asked. Her very favorite Earth food.

"Of course." Leryn sat up to hug her mother.

"Thank you! Where's Papa?"

"Still sleeping. I thought it could be just you and me for a little bit."

"Is the baby still sleeping, too?"

Nyota smiled. "No, he or she is definitely awake. You want to feel?" She placed Leryn's fingers over the right spot on her stomach to feel the baby kicking. The little girl giggled.

"Is Papa going to be mad you're up?" she asked. Nyota was supposed to be taking it easy, and had been spending the majority of the past few weeks in bed.

"I don't care. Today was too special of a day to miss."

* * *

A half hour later, Leryn had polished off her breakfast and was trying to decide what clothes to wear. "I don't know if I like red or purple," she told her mother, holding up two different dresses.

Nyota considered the two outfits from her seat on Leryn's bed. "Mmm…I think I like the purple one. It's new, isn't it?"

Leryn nodded. "Uncle Scotty got it for me when he was on shore leave."

They both looked up as the door opened and Spock came in the room. "What are you doing?" he asked his wife.

"Helping Leryn pick clothes for today."

He noticed the now-empty tray that was still sitting on her desk. "You were cooking?"

"I'd hardly call pushing a few buttons on the synthesizer cooking."

"You were advised by Dr. McCoy to refrain from standing for long periods."

"It was just a few minutes, Spock, I promise. And I've been sitting in here ever since, haven't I?" she asked Leryn. The little girl warily nodded.

"It is highly illogical to risk your health for simple task that I could have easily completed."

"Not doing whatever I wanted to make Leryn's first birthday special is also illogical," she fired back. "Sweetheart, go get washed and changed and I'll do your hair when you're done, okay?" she told the little girl. She nodded and scrambled out of the room, not wanting to see her parents get into another 'discussion' as they called it.

"You should have awakened me," Spock told his wife once they were alone. "I would have fixed her morning meal."

"It wasn't just about getting the food made, Spock. It was about us being together. When I was a little girl, my mother used to get up with me at sunrise on my birthday and we would watch it together. I wanted to be able to do something special for my own daughter."

"And what about our other child?" he asked.

She sighed. He was maddeningly calm whenever they had one of these exchanges, and they'd been having them frequently. "The baby's fine, Spock. And I'm fine. I was feeling pretty good this morning. If I hadn't been, trust me, I wouldn't have gotten up."

He knelt beside the bed, carefully considering her appearance. "You seem mildly jaundiced."

"Well, 'mildly' is better than how I looked three days ago," she quipped, "And that just might have something to do with the fact that I've been living with copper poisoning for the past few months."

Spock didn't appreciate the sarcasm in her tone. "I should take you to sickbay this morning."

"No, please don't. I am SO tired of getting tied to machines. We know what's wrong, Spock – apparently being even ¼ Vulcan is a pretty significant thing. McCoy's already doing his best to keep filtering elements from the baby's copper-based blood from my system; going down there isn't going to tell us anything new."

"He should verify that your activities this morning have not had any negative effects."

"I'm fine. I promise. And if it will make you feel better, I swear that I'll stay in bed the rest of the day – until dinner."

Spock raised an eyebrow. "Nyota…"

"It's her first birthday with us, Spock. Leryn has been so amazing helping me recently and I don't want her to feel like we're forgetting her. This is her special day and I want her to enjoy it."

"I don't want anything to happen to you."

She rolled her eyes. "Has anyone told you that you worry too much?"

"Vulcans do not worry."

She smiled. "Of course you don't. I know just about every logical argument you could possibly make. Yes, there will be other birthdays, but this will always be the only one with just the three of us. Yes, I know it's a risk, but I believe it's low and it's worth it. And yes, I am incredibly, illogically stubborn, but I'm human."

"You are indeed."

Leryn cautiously stuck her head back in the room, looking to see if it was safe to return. Nyota was the first to notice her. "Let me see," she told the little girl, indicating with her hand for her to turn around and show off her dress. "You look beautiful."

Spock got up, taking the breakfast tray. "I will clean up and take Leryn to her classroom when she is ready," he said before heading into the main area of their quarters.

Leryn sat next to Nyota so that she could get her hair brushed and pulled up. "I'm sorry Papa got mad," she quietly told her mother. "I should have told you to go back to bed."

"Hey, you didn't do anything wrong. I wanted very much to spend the morning with you. And I'm so glad I did."

"Why can't you make the baby stop making you sick?"

"Well, because it's not really its fault. The baby's blood is what's making me sick, but I can't change who he or she is. Once it's born, I'll be better again, and all this will just be a memory."

Leryn considered that. "When my brother or sister is born, they'll go to school, too, right?"

"Eventually. He or she will have to get a little bigger before they will have their own lessons."

"It'll be fun to have someone else there," Leryn decided. Currently, 'school' meant watching lessons that had been filmed on Earth and completing the corresponding work that was sent to the ship. She could send questions and finished assignments back to her school. Enterprise was the first ship to have a child onboard, but a few others would be following suit soon, and it was possible that the families of a few other Enterprise officers would be joining the ship in a few months.

"Yeah, I think it will be nice for you to have someone to play with," Nyota agreed as she put the finishing touches on the little girl's hair. "Okay, all done. Have a good day, okay? We're going to go to dinner together in the mess hall tonight."

Leryn's eyes lit up; they hadn't had dinner together in the mess in a long time. "Really?"

Nyota smiled, glad to see her happy. "Promise."

* * *

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

By the time evening came, Nyota was feeling tired and weak, but didn't want to break her word to Leryn. Truth be told, she was also excited by the chance to be up and about on the ship after mainly being on bedrest for so long. McCoy would probably read her the riot act when he heard about the excursion, but it would be worth it.

"Sit here and we'll get plates for all of us," Spock told his wife, guiding her over to a table. She could have protested, but knew it would be futile. Besides, the walk from their quarters had taken more out of her than she'd expected.

"I'll get yours, Mama," Leryn sweetly promised before following her father to retrieve their food.

The pair returned a few minutes later with full plates. The meal passed pleasantly, with Leryn prattling on about what she'd studied that day in school. A few officers stopped by to say hello and inquire as to how Nyota was doing, making her realize how much she missed being part of normal life on the ship.

"Can we read when we get home?" Leryn asked as they were finishing up. She enjoyed having stories read to her in the evenings; it was a good way to learn about both of her parents' cultures.

"Only if you do so in our bedroom," Spock told her before Nyota could say a word. "You should lie down," he added for his wife.

She knew she'd gotten away with a lot already that day and had no reason to ask for more. "Sounds good to me. We can all curl up together."

"Yay!" Leryn exclaimed as she got up. Spock helped his wife to her feet and caught her arm to steady her when she stumbled.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yeah, I just feel a little light-headed. Probably just stood up too fast." She put a hand on the table to regain her balance, but a moment later her eyes rolled up and she slumped to the floor. Spock was just barely able to keep her from banging her head on one of the chairs. Several other crewmembers around them rushed over to assist.

"Someone, contact Sickbay," Spock ordered.

"Yes, Sir."

* * *

McCoy and a few techs arrived a few minutes later with a gurney. They quickly got Nyota loaded onto it and headed back for sickbay, already starting to get information on her condition along the way.

"Blood pressure's low," one of the techs reported. "Pulse is weak."

"Should I even ask what she was doing out of your quarters?" McCoy inquired of Spock. He didn't answer.

Leryn followed along behind the group, basically forgotten. McCoy's question made her flinch; it was HER fault that they'd been in the mess hall. It had been her birthday dinner, and now because of her, everything had gone horribly wrong. She'd been so good the past several weeks since Nyota had gotten noticeably sick, always staying quiet when her mother needed to rest or helping to get meals made. Had it all been ruined in one night?

Inside sickbay, the medical team could do all the proper scans they needed. "Damnit, her copper levels are up again," McCoy muttered as he looked at the first results. "Give her penicillamine, now."

"She's already been on a regimen," one of the nurses pointed out.

"And it obviously hasn't been doing enough, has it?" the doctor fired back. "Right now, we've got to stabilize her before she starts seizing or ends up with kidney damage. We'll worry about adjusting long term plans later."

Spock watched the scene from the side of the room, trying to process what was going on. He looked down at the feel of a hand on his. Leryn was beside him, and her small fingers momentarily tightened around his. Neither said anything.

* * *

A few hours later, as Nyota opened her eyes, she heard a voice nearby call, "Papa, she's awake!" Leryn was next to her, and Spock also moved into her field of view with McCoy close behind him.

"How are you feeling?" the doctor asked.

Nyota winced, raising a hand to her temple. "My head…"

"Yeah, I bet." He reached for a hypospray and pressed it to her neck.

"What happened?" she asked as the pain medication began to take effect.

"You lost consciousness in the mess hall," Spock replied.

Nyota's eyes widened. "Is the baby okay?"

"Heart rate is stable," McCoy reported. "You're the one who gave us a scare. I'm keeping you here for at least the next twenty-four hours, so don't even bother protesting."

She slowly nodded. "I won't."

"Get some rest, and I'll check back in a little bit."

Nyota reached for Leryn, gently smoothing her hair back from her face. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I wasn't thinking this would be how your birthday would end." The little girl was quiet. "What's wrong?"

"You wouldn't wake up," she whispered. "I was scared."

"I'm okay now. I guess this was a bit much to take on in one day."

Leryn still wasn't mollified. "What if… You said that you would get better when the baby was born. But what if it makes you really sick first? What if you get so sick that you die?"

Nyota held her hand. "No, Leryn, I'm fine. I'm so sorry that I scared you. I'm going to be more careful from now on. Nothing's going to happen to me, I promise you."

"It is illogical to make a pledge that you cannot guarantee," Spock quietly pointed out. Nyota held his look for a long moment.

"Dr. McCoy is going to do everything that he can to make sure that me and the baby are okay," she told Leryn. "Can you do me a favor? Can you go ask him if I can get something to drink?" Leryn nodded. "Thank you, sweetheart…I was trying to alleviate her fears," she admonished Spock once they were alone. "Do you think you could help out with that?"

"I will not lie to her. There is no point."

"Sometimes there's no point to being totally forthcoming, either."

"I am not going to debate this with you at this time. You should be resting."

Nyota twined her fingers through his. "We're okay, Spock. Really."

"An hour ago, the conclusion of the evening was not so certain…I must admit that I failed to accurately envision the possible outcomes of our desire to have children."

"The universe likes surprises," she agreed.

"I should have put more consideration into the possibility that this would be very difficult for you, even life-threatening. I knew that my mother was very ill before my birth."

"Even McCoy was initially certain that the baby would have iron-based blood. Apparently the little one had other plans and wanted to take after its father."

He sighed. "I am sorry, Nyota."

"For what? I'm the one that refused to listen to you today. And you were right, as usual." Spock was quiet. "You can't blame yourself for who you are. I'm glad for everything about this baby; he or she will be the best of both of us."

* * *

TBC...

**A/N: Wow, I was amazed to wake up this morning to a full inbox, and have another when I got home from work. Thanks so much to everyone who sent feedback!**


	3. Chapter 3

Two weeks later, Nyota had another fainting episode. She and Spock had been on their way to sickbay for a normal scan and treatment – or at least what had become normal for her. McCoy was getting concerned; her condition was deteriorating and it was only a matter of time before those problems started to transfer over to the baby.

"You're moderately anemic and have developed a fever again," he told her after checking over the results from her latest scans. "I want to deliver you now, before anything else happens."

Nyota frowned. "It would be two months early."

McCoy snorted. "Yeah, I've done the math, too. At this point, the only options I see are risking a premature delivery or risking both of your lives by allowing this pregnancy to continue. I don't like either choice, but the first is slightly better."

She shook her head. "No, I won't let you do it. You don't have the equipment onboard the ship to deal with a baby this little."

"We'll do everything we can."

Nyota shook her head. "No, you won't, because you're not doing this. It's too soon; find some other way."

McCoy sighed, rolling his eyes. "I generally don't come up with the drastic solutions on the first pass. The key word in the term 'last resort' is the first one."

Nyota wasn't intimidated. "I know my body. We're not there yet."

"Do the Vulcan thing and talk some sense into her, would you?" the doctor told Spock, exasperated, before walking away.

"Go ahead, tell me exactly how illogical I'm being," she dared her husband once they were alone.

He was quiet for a long moment. "The risk to our child is great regardless of the option selected."

"I'm trying to lessen that risk," she protested. "Even another week will make a difference for the baby. I have to try to give it every advantage I can."

"At the cost of increased risk to yourself."

Nyota took his hand. "I can hold on a little longer, Spock, I know I can. Please, trust me."

"I want to…but I cannot lose you."

She smiled. "I'm going to be fine. And I know that I have no way to guarantee that, but…that's what faith is." He finally nodded. "Thank you."

* * *

McCoy wasn't happy that Spock took his wife's side. He had her confined to sickbay and told her that if anything else went wrong, he'd have no other option besides operating.

That first night was probably the hardest, since everyone was still on pins and needles. But nothing happened that day, or the day after. Eight days passed and although Nyota was bored out of her mind in sickbay, there hadn't been any other problems.

That evening, she watched with a smile as Spock read aloud to the little girl curled up in his lap. "Through storms he crossed the Voroth Sea, to reach the clouded shores of Raal where old T'Para offered truth…"

He and Leryn were in a chair beside her bed in sickbay, as they had been every night for the past week. The back corner of the ship's medical center was becoming their second home. Leryn would come to visit as soon as she got out of school, and Spock would bring dinner from the mess hall once he was off his shift so that they could all eat together. It wasn't easy, but at least they were together.

Spock finished the portion of _Falor's Journey_ that had been selected for that night and looked down to see that Leryn was barely still awake. "I should put her to bed," he told his wife.

She nodded before blowing a kiss to her sleepy eldest. "Goodnight, sweetheart," she whispered.

"Bye," was the quiet response.

"Would you like me to return later?" Spock asked Nyota. "Chekov said that he was available to baby-sit this evening."

She shook her head. "No, that's okay. You look tired; get some rest."

"I will not actually require sleep for several days," he countered. It was one of the perks of his physiology.

"Mmm, remind me to take advantage of that once the little one is here. How about this: I'll sleep better tonight if I know that you're home relaxing, okay?"

Spock nodded. "Whatever will make you feel better."

* * *

Only moments after he and Leryn had disappeared through the door, another figure entered. "Good, you're still awake," Kirk told his friend as he stood by her bed. "I wanted to come visit and hoped this wasn't too late."

She shook her head. "Not yet. Busy day?"

He grinned as he sat in the chair beside her. "Aren't they all? I won't bore you with the details, though. Although I will say that it's not the same on the bridge without you."

Nyota smiled. "I miss it, too."

Jim watched her critically for a moment. "You're doing okay?"

She forced a smile. "Yeah. Sore and nauseous, but what else is new?"

"Bones is still going on and on about you standing up to him. Claims I'm a bad influence or something. No clue where he'd get that idea."

"No clue," she quietly echoed.

"How's Leryn doing?"

"Good. She was working on a drawing for you earlier today."

"Oh yeah? Of what?"

"The ship. Riding a comet's tail, I believe."

He chuckled. "Gotta love that kid."

Nyota nodded slightly. "I…I'm scared I'm going to break my promise to her."

Jim frowned. "What promise?"

"That everything's going to work out. I keep telling myself that this was the right decision, but…doesn't make it any less scary."

He held her hand. "Don't you think that you'd still be hearing it from your husband if this wasn't a smart choice? Have you ever tried to win an argument against that man when you haven't got anything solid to back you up?"

She smiled a little. "Once. I decided not to repeat the experience."

"Well then that makes you smarter than I am."

They talked for a little while longer before Kirk noticed his friend fighting yawns. "I should let you get some rest," he said as he got up. "You take care of yourself and the little guy, okay?"

"Thank you, Jim. I didn't mean to cry on your shoulder, I just…I don't want to worry Spock. He claims he doesn't worry, but...I know him a little better than that."

He nodded. "No problem. I'm around to listen whenever you want."

* * *

It was very early in the morning – 0236 hours to be precise – when Spock awakened to the chirp of the comm. system. The noise incessantly played over and over until he got up and toggled the switch. "Spock here."

One of the nurses said the words that he most dreaded hearing, "Sir, you're needed in sickbay immediately."

He barely remembered making the trip down to the ship's medical center. Somewhere along the way, he called and awakened Kirk to go stay with Leryn so she wouldn't be alone if she woke up. The captain had been decidedly grumpy when he first answered the call, but quickly responded that he'd do whatever his friend needed. And that meant that all Spock had to worry about was his wife. As soon as the doors to sickbay opened, he could hear Nyota's voice. Crying. She was curled up on her side on the bed, the nurse beside her holding her hand.

"Breathe," the woman was instructing her. "Just keep breathing through it." McCoy was checking over scan readouts, looking as though he'd also been pulled from bed only a few minutes earlier.

"What happened?" Spock asked the doctor as he joined them.

"Apparently her body's had enough," he replied. "She's gone into labor on her own."

Nyota grabbed her husband's hand, surprising him with the strength of her grip. "Something's wrong," she whimpered, trying to fight the white hot agony coursing through her body. Spock's heart rate doubled as he realized that there was blood on her blanket.

McCoy's expression was grim as he also noticed. "We've run out of waiting time."

* * *

TBC...

**A/N: Cliffhanger! (Mean, I know.) Thanks again for all of the reviews. They almost made me forget how sad things are at work since the latest shuttle launch got delayed. :-(  
**


	4. Chapter 4

Spock was watching a miracle.

That was the only word he could think of to describe the sight before him. Nothing else in his extensive vocabulary seemed adequate.

The almost painfully small baby lying on a small makeshift cot gave a mewling cry, her chocolate-colored eyes flickering open for a moment. Her tiny hands fussed with the oxygen line that was running across her face. Spock let her hold onto his finger instead, and she calmed down a moment later, returning to a peaceful sleep.

She barely weighed two kilos, something that had greatly concerned McCoy. It had taken what seemed like an eternity for her to begin breathing once she was born, but she had been doing pretty well since then. The oxygen line was mostly just a precaution; it seemed that Nyota had made exactly the right choice in waiting. The tiny girl was healthier than the medical staff had expected and had quickly fallen asleep after being examined and bundled in a blanket. Her exhausted mother had also quickly fallen asleep on a bed just a few feet away. Spock had been left with nothing to do but stare at them both with a wonderment that he couldn't seem to suppress.

He looked up as the door behind him opened and Leryn and Kirk entered sickbay. The little girl immediately dashed over. "Brother or sister?" she asked her father.

"You have a sister," he quietly replied. "Would you like to see her?" The child, of course, nodded, so Spock held her up to get a look.

"Aw, she's little! What's her name?"

"We decided to call her Amanda."

Leryn smiled. "After your Mama?" Spock nodded. "It's pretty. Hi, Amanda. I'm your big sister. You're gonna be my best friend." She gently reached to pull back the blanket that was covering the baby's head in order to get a better look at her. "Hey, she's got ears like me and Mama!"

"Yes, she does." Spock had already noted the ironic fact that, despite all of the problems her physiology had caused, Amanda barely appeared to be Vulcan at all externally. She very much looked like her mother, with caramel skin and a dusting of dark hair.

"Is Mama okay?" Leryn asked.

"She will need time to recover," he replied, "But Dr. McCoy believes that she will be fine."

Spock put Leryn down on her own feet as Kirk approached them. "Congratulations," the Captain told his friend, offering a hand to shake. "I'm going to get out of your hair, but tell Nyota the same once she wakes up."

"I will; thank you."

Kirk chuckled slightly. "You are SO outnumbered," he mocked his friend before leaving.

When Spock turned back to his family, he found that Leryn was on her tiptoes, peering at her sleeping sister as she whispered to her about the life she'd been born into.

"We live on a ship called the Enterprise. It's very big and very fast and can go anywhere Uncle Jim wants to. Or where Papa wants to; he gets to be in charge when Uncle Jim gets hurt – which happens a lot. We get to see all kinds of places and meet different people. It's Mama's job to make sure we can talk to everybody we meet. She knows tons of languages. She's teaching me some and I bet she'll teach you, too…"

Kirk was right – he was definitely outnumbered – but as Spock sat in a chair to watch, he realized that he didn't care. He was very fortunate to have the three of them in his life.

* * *

Nyota barely regained consciousness for the next 24 hours. Spock had expected that she would need rest, but apparently had not been able to appreciate how much the previous few months had affected his wife.

"Her blood chemistry is heading back toward the normal range," McCoy told Spock as he reviewed his patient's latest scans. "She still has a low grade fever, but it's gotten better. As for the ship's newest resident, the fact that she hasn't had any episodes of apnea is encouraging. From Amanda's scans, it seems like she was just barely old enough to have proper lung function and temperature regulation. I've given her a few things to help bolster her immune system and I want to get more scans once she's a little stronger; her physiology is wholly unique."

Spock nodded. "I had expected nothing less of her."

"What do you say to taking your family home this afternoon?"

"Is it safe?" was his only concern.

"I'll make a final decision in a couple hours, but so far, yes. I have a feeling your wife will probably be anxious to get out of here."

That statement probably would have been true if Nyota had been truly conscious when they left sickbay. A medical tech accompanied them, pushing the communications officer in a wheelchair while Spock held Amanda. Finally home – with their ordeal behind them and another adventure ahead – he got his wife settled on their bed. Nyota mumbled a comment about having missed something, but was asleep again before finishing the sentence. Amanda was sound asleep in a bassinet in the corner.

As he'd been doing often in the past day, Spock stepped back to just observe his wife and youngest child. Leryn joined him, slipping her hand into his.

"Now we're all together like we should be," she declared with smile.

"Indeed."

* * *

Leryn went to work on homework while Spock tried to catch up on what had been happening around the ship. Kirk had given him a few days off duty to adjust, but Spock wasn't the kind of person who could completely detach himself from his work. He'd gotten members of the science team and other departments who reported to him to drop off files he could look through, and those kept him busy for over an hour. At which point, a few whimpers cut through the quiet in their quarters.

Amanda had broken into full blown cries by the time he got to her, and Spock quickly took her out of the bedroom so that she wouldn't wake Nyota. He'd seen the nurses in sickbay speak to the baby when she cried, asking her what she wanted or gently telling her to calm down, but their actions had seemed highly illogical to him. She obviously could not understand or answer at this point, so speaking to her was a pointless activity.

He quickly discerned that she did not need changing and was not feverish or noticeably hurt in some way. It was possible that she was hungry again, since her last attempt at feeding had been short-lived. Spock decided that disturbing Nyota was unnecessary; he could use the synthesizer to make a bottle. It was tempting to try to explain to Amanda what he was doing in an attempt to pacify her, but he quelled the instinct – it would be ineffective and illogical.

Apparently food was not what Amanda wanted; she turned her head away from the bottle every time he tried to bring it near her mouth. Spock tried to swallow his frustration; he was unaccustomed to being unable to communicate with someone. Even when a lack of linguistic understanding existed, there were certain gestures or expressions that remained universal. Now…this tiny person was dependent on him for satisfying her needs and he had no idea what was required. It was unsettling.

"Talk to her," a voice said, and he looked to see that Nyota had been awakened by Amanda's squalling – surprise, surprise – and was leaning against their doorframe. Spock stepped toward her and started to hand the baby to her, but she stopped him with a smile. "No, you've got her. Just talk to her."

"She cannot understand."

"That doesn't matter. I'm assuming you already checked if she's wet or hungry, so she probably just wants to feel secure."

Spock frowned. "How will hearing strange sounds that she cannot comprehend assist with her security?" he asked. Even as the words left his mouth, however, Amanda started to quiet down.

Nyota smiled. "It's not strange to her," she replied as she sat back down on the bed; her energy reserves were already depleted. "She knows your voice; she's been hearing it for months. Remember when we first started feeling her moving, she would always kick if you were talking?"

Spock considered that as he joined his wife on their bed. The baby's cries had reduced to only a few random whimpers. "Curious."

Nyota gently traced a finger over their daughter's features. "She's beautiful, isn't she?"

He nodded. "Affirmative. I am grateful that she inherited her physical characteristics from you."

"She has your eyes," Nyota pointed out as she laid down again, a yawn escaping. "I thought that she'd have your ears, too."

Spock shook his head. "No. It is good that she looks like you." Looking down, he saw that his wife was already halfway asleep again. "It is good that she looks human," he softly added.

* * *

TBC...

**A/N: Thanks once again for all the feedback! And for those who asked: yes, I work at NASA and yes, it's an awesome job. :-)  
**


	5. Chapter 5

Nyota did not forget about her husband's statement that he needed far less sleep than she did. A week after Amanda's birth, she could still just barely stay awake for a normal day, so that meant that Spock was in charge of their daughter overnight.

He didn't mind the assignment. When Amanda's whimpers would cut into the quiet darkness, he would get her from her bassinet. Sometimes she needed feeding or changing, but sometimes she just wanted company. Those were the times he enjoyed the most.

It still seemed illogical to him to talk to the baby as though she could understand, but it DID seem to comfort her. He would quietly recite passages from literature as he paced around their living room with his daughter in his arms. Her favorites – if such a thing were possible – seemed to be tales that his mother had read to him as a boy, works by Lewis Carroll. Hearing a handful of lines would usually lull her back to sleep.

One night, however, nothing seemed to be working. Amanda was wide awake and threatened tears if Spock even thought about putting her down. "Your mother will not be pleased if you have inherited my sleep patterns," he told the infant. She blinked.

Spock sighed. He had intended to go and drop off a couple reports in Main Engineering once Amanda had gone back to sleep, but the likelihood of that seemed to be decreasing. Perhaps a change of scenery would do the baby some good. He slipped on shoes, grabbed the PADDs that he needed, and headed out the door.

The ship was mostly quiet – after all, it was after 0300 hours. On his way to the turbolift, Spock passed Kirk. "Where are you going?" the Captain asked his friend.

"Engineering. Someone is having difficulty falling asleep and I thought that the walk might help…What are you doing up at this time of night?"

He shrugged. "Must be something in the water; couldn't sleep. Mind if I join you?" Spock shook his head, so Jim joined him on the turbolift. "How's she doing?" he asked, referring to the baby.

"Well. Doctor McCoy is still slightly concerned by her size, but she is getting stronger every day."

"That's good to hear. What about Nyota?"

"Also improving. She and Leryn made dinner together this evening."

"How's the munchkin adjusting to no longer being an only child?"

"It has been difficult to provide her with the level of attention that she was accustomed to, especially with Nyota's condition. But we are trying to include her in caring for Amanda. She appears to be adapting."

When they arrived in engineering, Spock found the Ensign on night watch and left the reports with him. "Hey, look at that," Kirk told his friend as they headed back toward the turbolift. Amanda was nearly asleep. "At least you know where to go now when she's having trouble sleeping. Apparently the warp core is a space child's washing machine."

Spock looked at him oddly. "I do not understand how you could link those two items."

"On Earth, some parents will put their kid's carrier on top of a clothes washer in order to get them to sleep. The sound is supposedly comforting to them or something. I don't know; my mom did it for me."

"An interesting connection."

"I think I would also fall asleep if the auto-vacuum started running…You didn't have something similar on Vulcan?"

"No."

They walked in silence for a few moments before Kirk spoke up again. "So I've asked about everyone else in your household – how are you holding up as a new dad?"

"I was already a father," Spock pointed out.

"Yeah, but not for very long. I mean, you've gone from zero to two in a year. And they're not twins. Those are some big changes."

"You are correct. It has been…very educational."

Kirk laughed. "That's one way of putting it."

* * *

It was rare that Spock had vivid dreams, but some nights they did occur. In his mind's eye, he was back on Vulcan. The planet was exactly how it had been before being swallowed by the black hole created at its core. As he wandered between rooms of the dwelling he was within, he realized it was his childhood home. The family had owned a beautiful, though simple, dwelling on the outskirts of Shi'Kar, overlooking the Forge. The setting sun spread a fiery glow across the jagged rocks.

There were voices coming from nearby, familiar voices. Spock followed the sound out to the balcony and found his mother sitting on the floor, with Leryn beside her and Baby Amanda in her arms. He felt an unexpected surge of emotion at the sight.

They were over by the planter unit that Amanda had kept on the edge of the balcony, carefully tending to the flowers. Sarek had always thought it was illogical to waste effort caring for vegetation that had no nutritional purpose, especially with how hard it was to make anything grow on Vulcan, but his wife had insisted. She wanted to have a little bit of green to look at in the barren dessert landscape. Spock could remember watching her spend hours watering and pruning her plants.

"I like these," Leryn commented, pointing to some small blue flowers. "They're pretty."

The elder Amanda smiled. "I do too. Oh, it took so much time to have them properly re-engineered for this climate…You know, when I was a little girl, I used to play in my grandmother's garden. She would to sing a song to me: 'Mistress Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockleshells and pretty maids all in a row'."

Leryn giggled. "Your name isn't Mary. It's Amanda, like my sister."

"I know, but it was just a little rhyme that children would say on Earth."

"Mama sings little songs sometimes when I go to sleep. I've never heard that one before. What are silver bells and cockleshells?"

"They're types of flowers."

Leryn considered that. "And she planted them in a row…just like these!"

"Perhaps I should call you Mistress Mary now?" The little girl giggled. Amanda finally turned and acknowledged her son's presence. "Are you going to stand there, or pick up another spade?"

"I was never very skilled with your plants," he reminded her.

Amanda smiled. "I believe I remember you drowning this whole unit when you were six. It's a wonder you managed to take care of your sehlat without killing him."

Spock shrugged. "It was a valuable learning experience."

"That it was…you've learned a great deal over the years, Spock. I look at these two angels…" she smiled down at her namesake. "I'm sure you get tired of hearing it, but I'm so proud of you."

"I…I wish that you were here with us."

"I know. But it wasn't meant to be."

"I am sorry."

Amanda smiled. "It wasn't your fault. You did everything that you could."

He shook his head. "No, that was not what I was referring to… Neither of my daughters is like me. They are warm and affectionate, and I am appreciative of who they are, what they offer. I regret that you were unable to have the same experiences."

"Spock…"

"I-I do love you, Mother, and I am sorry I was unable to tell you that while I had the chance."

"You told me."

He frowned. "When?"

"You were probably about two. I don't remember what led up to the moment, but you said those words…Very soon after, your father decided to begin your training. However, even if the words had never made it out of your mouth, I would have understood."

* * *

When Spock awakened in the morning, he was alone in bed, but could hear voices coming from the main area of their quarters. As he got up and headed out of the bedroom, he found that Nyota, Leryn, and Amanda were together having breakfast. Or at least, Nyota and Leryn were eating while Amanda watched from a little baby seat that was propped on the table.

"Good morning," Nyota told her husband when she noticed him. "I thought you were going to sleep all day. Are you all right?"

"I am fine."

"I left a plate for you on the counter. Leryn was in charge of the menu today, so – surprise, surprise – we're having waffles and eggs."

"That is fine."

He had just sat down with them when Amanda started fussing slightly. Leryn jumped up before either parent could. "Aw, don't cry," she told her sister, gently taking her hands to play with her a little bit. "Here, listen to this." She quietly started humming a tune to the baby.

_Mistress Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow…_

The tune made Spock freeze. "Where did you learn that song?" he asked his daughter.

Leryn frowned. "I don't know. You don't like it, Papa?"

He slowly shook his head. "No, it is fine…Please continue."

* * *

TBC...


	6. Chapter 6

When Amanda was about a month old, they received a reminder of just how lucky the baby had been so far. A virus on the ship got a few members of the crew sick, and while most escaped with nothing more than a cough and some sniffles, Amanda ended up in sickbay with a fever higher than what humans could survive.

"She's resting comfortably now, at least," McCoy told the worried parents of his littlest patient as they stood by the isolation unit Amanda was lying in. "We've got her on medication and we're doing everything we can to get her fever back down. Unfortunately it's now just a matter of waiting."

Nyota slowly nodded. "Thank you." The doctor offered a small smile before leaving them alone. "She looks so helpless," she quietly told her husband.

"She is stronger than she appears," he replied. "She will recover."

"I guess it's a good thing that she inherited your immune system. When McCoy said that her temperature was 109, I think my heart stopped."

"I, too, was greatly concerned."

"I feel like there's still so much we don't know about her. All we have are educated guesses on what's normal vs. deadly for someone who's only ¼ Vulcan. Do you remember the look on McCoy's face the first time he saw her DNA analysis? I can only imagine how your mother felt when you were born."

"Although she must have been concerned, she was perhaps the only one who never treated me as an abnormality," he replied. "I was always grateful for that. She refused to have me seen as a subject of scientific study on either of my homeworlds, as I must similarly demand for Amanda."

Nyota slowly nodded. "Do you think she'll ever wonder why she was born?" she quietly asked. "Why we made the same choice your parents did?"

Spock looked away. "I hope not."

* * *

By that evening, Amanda still wasn't anywhere close to being out of the woods yet, so Nyota decided to spend the night with her in sickbay. Spock went home to take care of Leryn. "I want Mama to be here," she told him as they had dinner.

"Your mother must stay with your sister in sickbay."

Leryn frowned. "Is Amanda very sick?"

"Her condition has improved, but yes, she is. She has a very weak immune system right now and it is easy for her to fall ill."

She sighed. "I don't like that everybody always has to be so careful with her to make sure she doesn't get sick or hurt. I thought having a sister meant having somebody to play with, but she can't do much of anything."

"She is still very young," Spock pointed out. "Infants are always fragile, and the fact that Amanda was born early makes her even more so. In fact, she still should not even have been born yet. But as she becomes older, she will get stronger and we will not be quite so concerned."

"She needs to hurry up," Leryn declared.

"You should not be impatient. The time will pass quickly enough."

"Not quickly enough for me…Papa? Is Amanda really my sister?"

"I am uncertain as to what you mean."

"Well…you're my parents now, but I'm not REALLY your daughter. So is she really my sister?"

"Familial bonds do not have to be made by blood. Officially, and in our minds, you are our oldest child. We feel for you what we do for your sister."

She considered that for a long moment, and Spock briefly wondered if she truly believed him. "So she's my real sister, even though she's not my blood sister?"

"Affirmative. And as you are her older sibling, she will always look to you for assistance and guidance. Do you believe you are suitable for this challenge?"

Leryn nodded. "I can do that. But I still hope she gets bigger and stronger soon."

"As do we."

* * *

Amanda was in sickbay for a few days, but did recover. After a few more weeks of being home with her daughter, Nyota decided to start working again on the ship. She could have had more time off if she wanted, but thought that doing limited duty shifts to ease back into a routine would be better than instantly going from full days in their quarters to full days on the bridge.

She looked up from the mirror where she was finishing her hair when the door chime sounded. "Enter," she could hear Spock say from his place in the kitchen area, where Leryn was having breakfast. Nyota joined them just as the door opened.

"Hi, Dr. Noel!" Leryn greeted their visitor around a mouthful of oatmeal. Just a look from Spock was enough of a reminder that she wasn't supposed to talk with her mouth full. "Sorry," she mumbled.

The ship's psychiatrist, who also doubled most days as Leryn's teacher, smiled. "Finish your breakfast; we'll have all day to talk." She then turned to Nyota. "Today's the big day?"

"Yeah, seems like it came really fast. Amanda's still sleeping; let me go get her."

They'd decided that the best arrangement they could come up with was having Amanda go with Leryn during the day. Dr. Noel could keep an eye on the baby while her older sister did her lessons, or one of the nurses could look out for her if the psychiatrist had a patient. It wasn't ideal, but it would only be temporary. Three other children would be arriving on the Enterprise in a couple months as their non-Starfleet parents came to join their spouses who were serving on the ship. One of those civilians was a teacher who had accepted the job of looking after all five children onboard.

Nyota smiled at the other woman as she returned with Amanda in her arms. "Apparently she decided that she didn't want to miss any of the action." The baby was sleepily looking around.

"Oh, she's absolutely adorable," the psychiatrist observed. Amanda was still tiny, but had been making good progress. "I have all of the notes that you sent me; do you have anything else to add last minute?"

Nyota considered it and shook her head. "No, I'm pretty sure that was everything…Oh, she's pretty clingy when she first wakes up, so she probably won't let you put her down for a little while."

Dr. Noel smiled. "I don't mind that."

* * *

Nyota hadn't really thought about how hard it would be to hand her daughter to someone besides her husband and watch them walk away – she hadn't let herself think about it. Her progress in getting ready for work slowed considerably once Leryn and Amanda had left.

"It is highly likely that we are going to be late for our shifts," Spock eventually pointed out.

She sighed. "I know…Do you think she's going to be scared that we left her?"

"Who are you referring to?"

"Amanda. She's always been with one of us. It was so hard giving her to Helen, especially once she started crying. How's she supposed to understand that we're not just abandoning her?"

"Through experience, she will learn. Leryn can assist Dr. Noel if Amanda has difficulty."

"I keep thinking about the fact that if we were still at the Academy, we probably just could have her in one of our offices and switch back and forth when we had to teach."

"It is necessary and logical for her to learn that although we may be separated, we will always return. It will be beneficial for this instruction to begin early."

"I don't really want to hear logic at the moment," she shot back.

Spock stepped over to her and took both of her hands in his. "I, too, had difficulty when I returned to duty. Amanda has been growing and changing quickly and I felt as though I would miss out on something critical. We are not abandoning her, as she soon will see, and there will be many moments in her life that we will be present for."

She smiled slightly. "I think that was still logic."

"It is difficult to get away from," he conceded. "Are you now ready?" Nyota nodded.

* * *

TBC...


	7. Chapter 7

A couple weeks later, Nyota and Spock got a rare night to themselves for their fifth anniversary. Initially, they'd planned on a dinner with the girls, but when Kirk heard, he insisted that his friends let him baby-sit so they could have some time alone.

"Are you sure you can handle them both?" Nyota asked her friend when they came to drop Leryn and Amanda off at his quarters.

"Yeah, no problem! We'll have a great time. Put together some stuff to eat, play some games or something. I'll try to have them worn out by the time you guys come back."

"O…kay. Call us if you need anything, all right?"

Jim smiled. "We'll be fine. Go."

"Be good," Nyota told Leryn, "And help with your sister."

"I will! I always do." The door finally shut behind them.

"Are you hungry?" Kirk asked Leryn. "We should probably work on dinner."

She shrugged. "I guess. I want to finish my present for Mama and Papa."

"What present?"

She ran over to the little bag that she'd brought with her and pulled out a sheet of paper. On it was a drawing that she'd been working on. "See?" she asked him. "It's me and Mama and Papa and Amanda. And that's a galaxy." She pointed to the shape at the bottom.

"I see. You have a bit more coloring to do, huh?" Everyone's clothes were still blank.

"Yeah. I brought my markers."

"All right. How about you work on that and I'll get dinner. What do you want to eat?"

Leryn thought about it. "Ice cream. And waffles."

Kirk laughed. "Did you really think I was going to go for that?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe."

* * *

A much more sensible meal of chicken and pasta was prepared. "Come eat," Kirk told Leryn as he worked on getting a bottle ready for Amanda. "You can finish drawing later."

"Can't I work on it while I eat?" she asked.

He considered that for a moment. "What if you end up with food on your picture?"

"I'll be careful. I'm not a baby."

He was pretty sure he was going to regret it, but nodded. One can't earn the title of 'fun uncle' without taking a few chances. "All right, fine. But markers only on the table. No glitter. Don't need you ending up with sparkles in your mouth."

Amanda had generally been easy-going so far in the evening, and Kirk was grateful for that. He hadn't baby-sat both girls at the same time before, and had been mostly concerned with the baby. According to Bones, the three-month-old had a temper, but maybe that was just because whenever McCoy saw her, she was being poked and prodded and scanned. Jim couldn't blame the infant for being moody under those circumstances.

"This is way more fun than sickbay, huh?" he quietly asked Amanda as he picked her up and gave her the bottle.

"Huh?" Leryn inquired. Kirk shook his head.

"Nothing. Nevermind."

She shrugged and turned back to her work/food. A chicken tender in her left hand, she contemplated what color to use for her mother's dress. As she reached across the table for the purple marker, her elbow hit her cup. It teetered for a moment before overturning, spilling its contents all over everything – including Leryn's drawing.

Kirk put Amanda back down in her carrier and grabbed a towel to start mopping up the water. Staring at her ruined drawing as the colors began to mix and bleed, Leryn started to cry. "Hey, hey, it's okay," he tried to tell her.

"It's all messed up!"

He tried using the towel to blot up the water that was on top of the picture, but that just made things worse. "You can redraw it," he suggested.

"It'll take too long!"

"Well, then you could draw something else. Your mom and dad will be happy with whatever you give them, I promise." She watched him dubiously. "Come on, do you have more paper in your bag?"

"Yeah," she got out between hiccups, "But I wanted to make a picture of all of us."

Amanda realized at this point that attention wasn't going to be shifting back to her anytime soon. Her dinner had been interrupted mid-bottle and she wasn't happy about it. An ear-piercing wail rang through the room, quickly followed by another, then another.

Looking between the girls, Kirk sighed. "Why did I volunteer for this?" he muttered to himself.

* * *

Once they'd arrived back in their quarters, Nyota and Spock quickly decided to skip dinner for two and go straight to 'dessert.' After all, it wasn't often that they got the place to themselves, and it was illogical not to take full advantage of it.

Lying in bed afterwards, she absentmindedly traced abstract shapes on his chest. "Is it strange that I'm kind of weirded out by NOT having to worry about getting caught together?"

"It has been a very long time since we were able to share interpersonal relations without the fear of interruption," he agreed.

Nyota smiled. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing you call it that."

"It is an accurate description," he protested, "Though perhaps not as detailed or crude as other common choices on Earth."

"Has Jim been trying to expand your vocabulary again?"

Spock shook his head. "I believe I have learned more than enough already."

She laughed, sitting up to kiss him. "I love you."

"And I love you, as well."

* * *

As much as they would have liked to stay in bed in their quiet quarters all night, they eventually figured that they needed to go rescue Kirk if they ever wanted him to baby-sit again. So they got up, showered – separately, to maximize the chance of actually getting out the door – got dressed and headed for their friend's quarters.

"I am contemplating the odds that Jim has actually reached the limit of the girls' energy stores, as he predicted," Spock commented as they walked.

Nyota laughed. "Probably not. But maybe Leryn will sleep a little later in the morning. We can hope at least."

As they approached Kirk's door, they could already hear Amanda crying. "Uh-oh," Nyota murmured. Spock rang the chime, and the door opened a moment later, the sound of their daughter wailing instantly increasing in volume. "What happened?" she asked as she reached for the baby.

"Long story," Kirk replied. Amanda gave a few more whimpers before she realized whose arms she was in and almost immediately settled down. Jim's jaw dropped. "Are you serious?" he asked the tiny girl. "What, did you just get fed up with me?"

Leryn joined them in the doorway, holding up a sheet of paper with a drawing. "I made this for you," she told her parents as she offered it up. Spock took the paper from her.

"It is a very good representation of Earth," he praised.

She smiled. "I had another one, and it was much better. It was almost done, but it got wrecked and Uncle Jim couldn't fix it."

He looked up at that. "Hey! I tried! I'm not a miracle worker."

Nyota stifled a laugh. "Thank you for trying," she told him. "Leryn, can you say thank you for watching you tonight?"

"Thank you, Uncle Jim," she obediently echoed. Still holding Amanda, Nyota went to help her get her things together.

"It appears as though you are the one who was worn out this evening," Spock told his friend, his face completely neutral.

Kirk rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Those two together make a very effective form of birth control."

* * *

TBC...

**A/N: My muse demanded a scene with Kirk baby-sitting, so...there it is. :-) Again, thanks so much for all of the feedback I've received.**


	8. Chapter 8

A few weeks later, the Enterprise arrived in orbit of the Vulcan Colony. Life had not been easy for the endangered race, but they were surviving. The ship hadn't visited the Colony in over a year, and so Nyota and Spock were taking their daughters to meet Sarek for the first time.

"Mama, can you do my hair?" Leryn asked as she came out of her bedroom. Nyota was dressing Amanda in the main area of their quarters.

"In a minute… Somebody's being very squirmy today and I need to finish getting her clothes on."

Leryn sat on the couch to wait. When Nyota finished with her youngest and turned around, she smiled to see the little girl trying to practice the customary Vulcan gesture of greeting. However, she couldn't get her fingers to separate the right way.

"You know, you don't have to do that."

"I want to. It will make Grandfather happy, won't it?"

Nyota got Leryn's brush and started working on her hair. "Sarek isn't like your father; even if something does please him, he probably won't say it or show it in any way. He's very dedicated to controlling his emotions."

"That's 'cause he's not half-human like Papa, right?"

"Yes."

"Do you think he'll be happy to meet us?"

Nyota hesitated before answering. Truthfully, she had no idea how her father-in-law would react. He hadn't been thrilled when Spock decided to stay on the Enterprise instead of returning to his people; he'd seen it as another insult, like when Spock chose Starfleet Academy over the Science Academy. Their wedding also hadn't been well received (apparently Sarek had been trying to set up an arranged marriage to a Vulcan woman for his son). It would be illogical to punish his granddaughters for his displeasure with Spock's decisions, but…no one is perfect.

"I think he'll be glad to see your father again," Nyota finally said, "And very interested to meet you and Amanda."

* * *

The new colony was a lot like Vulcan, although the gravitational force was lower and the areas near the northern and southern poles enjoyed a climate that was more reasonable by Human standards. The 10,000-odd survivors of the xenocide had settled in cities on a few continents near the equator.

Uzh'Kir was where Sarek had taken up residence, and the family rode a shuttle down to the surface with a few other crewmembers. Spock had accompanied Kirk to the capital for their first day in orbit (mainly to ensure that no diplomatic missteps were made) but now he was free to spend the rest of the week with his family without worrying about official duties.

Sarek was already there at the shipyard when their ship landed and waited for his son's family to approach. "Dif tor heh smusma," Spock greeted his father with the traditional splayed-finger gesture.

"It is good to finally see you back here," he replied after returning the greeting.

"Our lives have been eventful," Spock pointed out as he turned to his elder child, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Father, this is Leryn."

She tried her hardest to replicate her father's gesture, but finally ended up using her left hand to hold apart the fingers of her right. "Na'shaya, Sa'mekh'al," she told him, pleased that she had remembered the correct Vulcan word for grandfather.

He took her in for a moment before returning her greeting, "Na'shaya, ax'nav." He then turned his attention to Nyota. "And who have you there?"

"This is Amanda," she replied, gently shifting the sleeping baby so that he could see her face. "The engine on the shuttle put her right to sleep."

Sarek studied her for a noticeably longer period, though what he was looking for, neither Spock nor Nyota could be sure. Some trace of his lost wife in her features? Whether or not she displayed her Vulcan genes? After an eternal moment, he finally quietly commented, "She is…beautiful."

Nyota and Spock exchanged a glance, unsure how to react. "Thank you," he finally told his father. Sarek nodded.

"Come, let us go indoors. I am sure you are not accustomed to the weather."

* * *

In the morning, Nyota and Spock got up early to fix the meal, as was custom. Amanda was up for a feeding and kept her parents company while they cooked, but Leryn was allowed to sleep in.

"Morning, Mama, Papa," the little girl said as she finally joined them just as they were getting read to serve everyone's dishes.

"I take it you slept well," Nyota told her with a smile.

"It was hard to go to sleep at first without the sound of the engines. Too quiet."

"Amanda had similar troubles," Spock noted.

Leryn gently tickled her sister as she approached to see what they would be eating. She wasn't thrilled with what she found. "What's that?" she asked, aiming a finger at the large pot of dark liquid being prepared.

"Breakfast," Sarek matter-of-factly said.

Nyota suppressed a smile at the unintentional humor of his reply. "It's called plomeek broth," she told her daughter.

She scrunched up her face in disgust. "No waffles? Or oatmeal?"

"It is a traditional Vulcan breakfast," Spock explained.

"Do I have to eat it?"

Nyota wasn't exactly a fan of the dish herself, but was trying her hardest to stay on Sarek's good side. "At least try it before you decide you don't like it," she bargained with the little girl.

As they all sat at the table, Leryn eyed her bowl as if it might possibly jump up and attack her at any moment. Like a prisoner facing the gallows, she raised her spoon and tasted a miniscule amount of the broth. "It doesn't taste like anything," she reported.

"Then there should be nothing for you to dislike," Spock told her.

She shook her head. "I don't want it."

"Leryn…"

Sarek reached into his pocket and handed the little girl two cards for the food synthesizer. "I believe that this will be more to your liking," he told her. "The second is for your mother." Nyota looked up in surprise at that.

Leryn smiled as she took the objects. "Thank you – I mean, Lesek, Sa'mekh'al."

"Thank you," Nyota added.

He nodded. "It took many years for his mother to learn to tolerate plomeek," he told her, dipping his head in Spock's direction, "And he was never fond of it as a child."

"I…learned to appreciate its nutritional value," he finally replied.

* * *

After breakfast, while her parents cleaned up, Leryn went out onto the porch with Amanda to look out on the city.

"I wonder if this is what Vulcan looked like," she commented to her sister, who was propped up in a chair. "I never got to see it, but Papa says that it was hot and a desert. I've never been to a desert before, but I guess it's just all brown and rock and sand."

She was absentmindedly tossing a ball up and down as she spoke, and eventually the toy came down just beyond her reach. It bounced before rolling off the porch and out toward the dirt road that passed the house. A couple boys were walking along the road and one of them caught it.

"Thanks," she told them as they came over to give it back. The boy that was holding the ball looked at her strangely as he handed it over.

"What is wrong with your nose?" he asked. He appeared to be a bit younger than her, while his companion appeared a bit older.

Leryn unconsciously reached a hand up to finger the ridge that ran up her forehead. "Nothing," she replied somewhat defensively. "What's wrong with your ears?"

The other boy scoffed. "You are that girl the half-breed took in, are you not?"

She frowned. "Half-breed?"

"You know. He is not human nor Vulcan."

"He is, too, Vulcan! Just he's human, too. My sister's the same way."

"Yeah, only even more human."

"She's got Vulcan blood."

"That is highly improbable."

"It's true!"

The younger of the boys realized that the person in question was just a few feet away. He stepped past Leryn and knelt beside Amanda, reaching to pick up her arm. "Affirmative; she has copper veins," he told his friend.

Frightened by the unfamiliar face and the boy's rough touch, Amanda started wailing. Leryn pushed him away from her sister. "Hey! Leave her alone!"

"She sounds like a human," the older boy sneered.

Leryn tried to pretend that was braver than she was. "Go away!" she told them.

The elder of the two went toe to toe with her. "Or what? You will cry like a baby for your traitor half-breed sa'mekh?" He shoved her backward, and she tripped over a chair, falling to sit on the ground. "Why are you even here?"

"I would recommend that you two continue on your way," a voice said and all three children looked up to see Sarek in the doorway. The boys glared, but left; regardless of what they might call him behind his back, he was too powerful in their society to disobey.

Nyota and Spock also appeared in the doorway a few moments later. Amanda was still crying, and her mother instantly picked her up. Leryn was sitting on the floor, stunned by the turn of events. "What happened?" Spock asked his father as he started to tend to her.

Sarek held his gaze. "History repeated itself."

* * *

TBC...


	9. Chapter 9

Amanda had calmed back down rather quickly once she was in her mother's arms; Leryn took a larger effort. She'd scraped her hands when she fell, so they required tending to. There had been many unfortunate questions about why the boys had talked about her family in such a way. Spock had always hoped that his daughters would be spared from repeating his childhood. Apparently Vulcan society hadn't become any more tolerant.

"Why do they care if you're not totally Vulcan?" Leryn asked as she sat on her parents' bed. Spock was using a dermal regenerator to heal her hands.

"Many think of humans as inferior," he replied, "Due to their lack of emotional control and the fact that they are not always guided by logic."

She considered that. "So they think they're better than you, since you're half-human?"

"That is correct."

"But there aren't many Vulcans left, are there? Shouldn't they not care?"

"At one point, I had hoped that the destruction of our world and the loss of so many people would make those who were left more open...From what I have observed here and in the capital, the opposite has been true. It is is logical to protect the Vulcan race in order to ensure its survival, but I do not believe that this should be at the cost of our ties to the rest of the quadrant."

Leryn was quiet for a long moment. "They called you a traitor…is that because you married Mama instead of a Vulcan, because she's human?"

He sighed. "Yes. As a child, I heard similar comments about my own father."

"Well...I think it shouldn't matter," she decided. "If you're happy, then they shouldn't care!"

"I agree." Silence fell for a long moment as Spock finished with the regenerator.

"Papa?" Leryn quietly asked as he put the equipment away. "You...you wouldn't leave us, in order to make them happy, would you?"

Spock looked her in the eye. "Never," he promised.

* * *

The family had originally planned on spending the day walking around the city, but Leryn refused to go out, so instead she and Nyota were curled up with a book. Spock watched them from the doorway for a long moment before finally turning away to join his father in the main living area.

Sarek was holding Amanda, watching her sleep. He looked away from his granddaughter as his son sat beside them. "How is Leryn?"

"Understandably upset, but Nyota is with her."

He nodded slowly. "I know what you are thinking. You had a hard road as a child, my son, but you were taught our ways and will carry on the legacy of our race, even if you are not here with us." He looked back down at Amanda. "She will have an even harder time."

"You assume that she will choose to follow Vulcan traditions," Spock pointed out.

Sarek didn't reply to that for a long moment. "Every child is precious to us at the moment."

"Evidence at hand seems to indicate that you place a higher value on her than others will."

"Anyone sufficiently schooled in logic can appreciate the value of increasing our numbers, of ensuring our culture continues."

"She is more than a number, Father. She is a person."

"Of what background?"

"Why must that define her?"

"That is what defines any of us: our ties to those who have come before us."

"She is unlike anyone who came before her. As am I."

"You were defined in the only logical way that you could be, as a Vulcan."

"That was not – and still is not – how I am seen by others." Sarek was quiet. "When Amanda was born, I believed it beneficial that she was human in appearance. But appearances do not change who we are, what we are. That can never be changed…no matter how much time is spent desiring otherwise. Her life will be distinctive, and likely difficult at times. Perhaps it is an incorrect choice, but I will not force her to follow my path. If she is so valuable to you now, Father, then she will still be worth as much once she is old enough to select a life for herself."

Sarek studied his son for a long moment. He truly believed that he hadn't had any other option in how to raise Spock, but that still didn't mean it was the right thing. It was good to know that Amanda's life not only could but WOULD be different. "You are very fortunate," he quietly told the baby. "You have an excellent father."

Spock looked up at that. He had spent most of his childhood searching for the acceptance and approval of the man beside him. By young adulthood, he'd attempted to convince himself that he no longer needed it, that the pursuit was illogical. He'd never thought that this would finally be how he would get what he'd always wanted. "Thank you."

The older man nodded. "Your mother would be proud of you if she were here."

He thought back to the dream that he'd had several weeks before. "I believe that she is here, in a way, watching all of us."

* * *

Spock had one goal for the trip to the colony that he needed to accomplish alone. The following morning, Sarek and Nyota finally managed to coax Leryn into exploring Uzh'Kir for a day, so he decided to take advantage of the time.

"I want you to come with us, too, Papa," the little girl told him as he helped her get ready.

"I have other things I must attend to elsewhere."

"Are you afraid that someone will be mean again?"

He shook his head. "I learned very long ago that fearing lies was illogical and unproductive."

Leryn looked down. "I'm a little afraid."

"Why?"

"I don't know…Lies can still hurt your feelings."

"Only if you let them," he pointed out.

She considered that for a long moment. "Are you sure you can't come with us?" she asked one more time.

"No, I cannot. I must visit an old friend."

* * *

Once Sarek, Nyota, and the girls were on their way to the market in town, Spock took a shuttle to a different part of the colony.

"I had heard that the Enterprise was in orbit," Spock Prime told his younger self when he answered his door and saw who his visitor was.

"I hope you are not displeased that I came."

The older man shook his head. "It is good to know that you are well. Is there something that you require from me?"

"Not exactly…there is something that I wished for you to see." Spock pulled a photograph out of the small bag that was slung over his shoulder and handed it to his older self. Leryn, holding Amanda, smiled up at him from the image.

"I do not understand," Spock Prime said.

"Those are my daughters. We adopted Leryn and Amanda is nearly four months old."

He quietly contemplated the image of the life that he never had. "They are beautiful children."

"I am unsure why I needed you to know about them," the younger Spock admitted. "Perhaps because they are, in a way, connected to you as well."

"You have worked out a balance in life that I was never able to find. I was fulfilled by my career, but you…you will have much more than that."

"I have found great satisfaction from my time with them…That day on Earth, when you stopped me from leaving Starfleet, you gave me the opportunity to have this life, and for that I am grateful."

"Taking advantage of that opportunity was up to you; I cannot accept credit. It is fortunate that things worked out as they have."

They talked a little while longer, about what had happened recently on the Enterprise and how the other members of the crew were doing. They had last spoken a few years earlier, just after Spock and Nyota's wedding. Spock Prime had been somewhat surprised to hear about the relationship at that time, since things in his reality had been completely different, but he could see that his younger self was content. The news brought on this visit seemed to prove that Spock Prime had made the correct choice by influencing the way events would unfold in this reality.

He looked at the picture one last time before handing it back as his younger self prepared to leave. "Take care of them," he said.

Spock nodded. "There is nothing else in the universe that is as important to me."

* * *

TBC...


	10. Epilogue

Spock dreamed of Vulcan again a few days after they left the colony. Dreamed of his childhood home and his mother. This time, there was only one girl accompanying her by her flowers – a school–aged vision of the baby he'd put to bed earlier in the night.

"Is this enough, Grandma?" she asked as she poured water over some of the plants.

"Perfect," she told her namesake with a smile.

Little Amanda was the first to notice her father's presence. "Hi, Daddy!" she called, getting up to go and give him a hug. "Do you want to help?"

"I will watch you," he told her. She giggled before returning to her work.

Amanda got up to join her son. "She's beautiful, isn't she?" she asked him.

He slowly nodded. "This is who she will be?"

"Who she could be, based on the outcomes of a thousand different decisions that face you. For many, it won't be as simple as 'wrong' or 'right'."

It seemed overwhelming at that moment; a single misstep could cause the vision before him to be lost. "How will I know?"

"You won't always. I didn't. You can't even be certain that this is the best possible outcome. All you can do is make sure that she's safe and content – whatever that may mean for her."

"It is unfair that she will not have the opportunity to know you."

She smiled slightly. "I won't be far."

* * *

As Spock woke up and attempted to roll over to face his wife, he realized there were two lumps in the bed that hadn't been there the night before. Turning more carefully, he saw that both Leryn and Amanda were sleeping between him and Nyota.

She smiled when she saw that her husband was awake. "Leryn had a nightmare," she whispered in explanation. "I was too tired to fight with her when she asked to sleep in here. And then apparently Amanda felt left out."

He watched his daughters sleep for a long moment before turning back to his wife. "Thank you," he told her.

Nyota smiled. "For what?"

"Our family. The future we will have together."

"It wasn't all me."

"No, but you are our center."

Her smile widened. "Did you ever think that things would end up like this when you offered me a position as your teaching aide?"

"If someone had suggested the idea, I would have directed them straight to the Medical Center for psychiatric evaluation," he replied. She laughed, covering her mouth with her hand to keep from waking the girls. "However," he continued, "I would not change a single moment for anything."

* * *

FIN.

**A/N: So, I hope everyone enjoyed the story. Thanks once again for all the feedback I got. I've actually started working on a fourth story for the series; that should be up sometime soon. **


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